1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a remote-operable firing pin safety catch. Here, a mechanical firing pin safety catch is supplemented by a further electrically remote-operable safety catch device, wherein it is basically the case that firing is possible only when the safety catch of the firing pin has been both locally mechanically released and also electrically released by a remote controller. As an electrical firing pin safety catch, an electric actuator is incorporated into the mechanical firing pin safety catch.
2. Description of the Background Art
For the ignition of the ammunition in barreled weapons, use is often made of mechanically actuated firing pins. Said firing pins are braced counter to a tension spring, and are released for firing, wherein the firing pin protrudes into the loading chamber of the barreled weapon. Upon the transfer of the kinetic energy of the firing pin to the ammunition situated therein, the ignition charge thereof is ignited. The firing pin is subsequently returned to a safe position by a restoring spring.
When the barreled weapon is loaded, a cartridge ready for firing is situated in the cartridge chamber in front of the firing pin. The weapon is thus in a critical state, and the safety catch of the weapon must be engaged to prevent inadvertent or accidental firing.
Mechanical firing pin safety catches are fundamentally known for this purpose. Weapons with mechanical ignition conventionally have a safety catch element which mechanically locks the final actuator (that is to say the firing pin). Said firing pin safety catch is normally operated manually, locally at the gun, by an operator. Here, a push-twist handle conventionally controls a Bowden cable which moves a piston rod, to the end of which is fastened a firing pin safety catch, whereby the firing pin safety catch either engages or releases.
For unmanned guns, this type of safety catch is normally not feasible, because either an operator is not available at all or else a relatively large amount of time and/or logistical expenditure is necessary to carry out the manual safety catch release.
A purely remote-operated firing pin safety catch for remote-operable guns is not desirable, and has the disadvantage that it could be released from a weapon control unit situated remote from the weapon when personnel are working on the weapon/gun, which would pose a risk to those personnel. Here, owing to the safety doctrine in effect, a range of functions on the gun can be carried out only when the gun is in a safety catch-engaged state; such functions include for example loading, unloading or set-up inspection.
DE 10 2006 037 306 B4 discloses a device for releasing a firing pin. The safety catch is realized by a transverse bar in the breech, which transverse bar holds the firing pin in a braced position. Said transverse bar is engaged into by a locking pin which is pushed away by said transverse bar when the breech is functionally connected to the weapon barrel.
DE 90 01 066 U1, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,175, relates to a safety device for selective safety catch engagement of a firearm, in this case a revolver. Upon the bracing of a firing pin, a main spring rod is moved slidingly counter to the action of a spring. The firing pin is then blocked and held under the stress of the spring. If the trigger is actuated, the rod is released, wherein the firing pin itself is pivoted in an opposite direction to the rod movement and impacts against the cartridges. Said revolver has, as a first safety catch, a mechanical blocking mechanism which prevents locking of the firing pin such that the latter can no longer be pulled back before firing. A further, second safety device which is independent of the first safety device comprises substantially a control unit, an electronic decoder and an electronic driver stage. The control unit is formed by a block which realizes bracing or non-bracing of the firing pin. Incorporated in the block there is, inter alia, a motor which drives a drive pinion and a toothed wheel. The toothed wheel moves a disk which opens up a space for the rod to enter into in order to brace the firing pin. If bracing is to be prevented, said space is closed. The enabling of the control unit is possible only with knowledge of a code which can be input via a keyboard of a separate operating means which can be connected to the block. The intention of this is to prevent unauthorized use of the revolver.
DE 19 46 831 A discloses a safety catch device for force-actuated firing devices having a firing element. Here, a firing element of said type—firing pin—is fixed in a braced position and secured against inadvertent release. For further mechanical locking of the pawl which can be moved into its blocking position by the bracing movement of the firing element, said pawl can selectively be placed into an active position, in which it transmits the bracing movement, and an inactive position, in which it neutralizes the bracing movement. Said setting is carried out by means of a movable coupling member, the coupling surface of which engages, in the active position, on the pawl. The coupling member is arranged in the region of the rear end of the firing element and is in the form of a slide which is movable transversely with respect to the pivot axis of the pawl.
DE 10 2009 011 939 A is concerned with a safety catch device for a breech, wherein the breech or breech support is engaged over, and thereby locked, by a wedge-like block which is displaceable vertically with respect to the breech. The firing pin or ignition triggering is realized by means of a kinematic mechanism. Here, the kinematic mechanism combines two mechanical interacting safety catches. The kinematic mechanism comprises a first lever which is mounted in the manner of a rocker about an axis of rotation and which acts with a further, second lever on the firing pin. The second safety catch is realized by virtue of the ignition needle assembly being engaged over, as a safety catch parallel to the first safety catch, by a further lever. Said lever interacts with the first safety catch, for which purpose a movable means is incorporated which functionally connects the lever to the first safety catch.
DE 10 2008 025 499 A1 relates to a remote-controlled operating means for automatic weapons and machine guns. Here, an adaptable magnet carrier frame is incorporated on the rear end or on the base piece of the weapon, preferably instead of the shoulder support of a machine gun, and a trigger magnet and a safety catch magnet are ideally suspended in said magnet carrier frame. The two magnets ensure that the safe operating state is assumed in the event of a fault. Furthermore, entry into the operation sequence must be prevented if there is a fault. For this purpose, as a safety catch magnet, a known linear-movement/holding magnet is replaced with a linear-movement/holding magnet with a redundant hold coil. Upon the first occurrence of a fault, firing is suspended or prevented in order to maintain the operation sequence, or to forbid the initiation thereof. Furthermore, as a trigger magnet, the previous stroke magnet is replaced with a reversing stroke magnet, thus permitting single-shot firing and rapid single-shot firing. Said measure is intended to allow the weapon to be converted from handheld operation to remote-controlled operation and utilized correspondingly.
DE 102 15 910 B discloses a device for increasing safety during the operation and firing of a heavy machine gun or similar weapon, in particular on a carriage. Said device comprises a firing device an adjusting element and a manual emergency actuation means which can fire the weapon by means of an actuation cable without external power. A further adjusting element which is operated with external power is mounted on the rear end of the weapon. Said element, as a single-shot switch, can, by means of a lever mechanism, arrest and secure or else release and unlock the breech in the rearmost return position opposite the barrel. As a result, undesired triggering of firing occurs in the event of a defect of the firing pin arresting means.